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(MoJ) Ministry of Justice

The Ministry of Justice, formerly the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA), is one of the largest government departments, with previously around 95,000 people and a budget of £9.2 billion. Today, employing around 76,000 people (including those in the Probation Service), with a budget of approximately £9 billion.

We are responsible for civil and family justice also criminal law, democracy, rights and the constitution, sentencing, offenders, prisons and probation services. We work to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public.

We handle relations between the three devolved governments (the Northern Ireland Executive, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government) and the UK government. The MoJ launched on 9 May 2007 and in addition to replacing the DCA, also takes over responsibility for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Every year around nine million people use our services in 900 locations across the United Kingdom, including 650 courts and tribunals and 135 prisons in England and Wales.

The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for different parts of the justice system – the courts, prisons, probation services and attendance centres. We work in partnership with the other government departments and agencies to reform the criminal justice system, to serve the public and support the victims of crime.

We are also responsible for making new laws, strengthening democracy, modernising the constitution and safeguarding human rights.